I’ve always felt lucky about the fact that my husband and I tend to like most of the same activities. Eating, shopping, and exercise tend to top the list so fortunately we can stick together for those ones. Fortunately, we even like the same TV shows! But give us a hot sunny, summer day and watch us go our separate ways. In our ideal world, we’d meet up with our favorite couple friends and the guys would head to the golf course while the girls hit the beach. Throw us a jam-packed weekend and he’ll tackle the lawn while I wrestle the crowds at the grocery stores (I’ll do anything to get out of yard work.) And when summer gives us an extra few hours of daylight, I’d rather get in workout #2 via a long walk with the dog while he might stop at the batting cage before coming home.

Did you notice that nowhere did I mention anything about spending time in the kitchen? As much as we love to cook and eat, we’d both prefer to be in and out of there quickly when there is so much else to enjoy and get done. Lately, I’m taking a “less is more” approach to cooking. For all that time I spend chopping, blending and baking, I’d like to see a lot more bang for my buck!

Here are a few things we’ve started doing so that we can spend a few extra minutes together (or apart!) doing something we really love:

Whipping up big jars of our favorite homemade saladdressings. I used to go ahead and mix together a single portion every time I made salad (which is like every day) – till I realized I was crazy.

Ensuring that breakfast is ready to go so we can waste no time attacking the day. For Ben, this means keeping a bowl of dates soaking in the fridge at all times so he wastes no time making his favorite smoothie. And for me? I’ve taken a recent obsession to not-cooking my oats the night before. Which works out rather perfectly this time of year, because who wants a bowl of steaming hot oats when it’s already pushing 80° at 7am?

Speaking of time saving, Electrolux induction cooktops and ranges combine the power of gas with the easy clean-up of electric, so you can boil water in just 90 seconds!1

If you’re new to the phenomena that is no-cook, overnight oats, I’ll give it to you in a nutshell: you simply combine your oats in a bowl with some milk or yogurt and let them soak overnight. Just like a hot bowl of oats, the mix-in possibilities are endless: nuts, sweeteners, fruit, chocolate, you name it. In the morning, your bowl of cold, creamy oats will be waiting. Sounds a little weird? You just have to try it, I promise.

If you need a little more direction,might I suggest my Pinterest board dedicated fully to this topic? (PS – Don’t forget to follow me!)

Or perhaps I can entice you to head over to Clean Eating Magazine, where my latest recipe is for, you guessed it, no-bake overnight oats. Only, I’m taking it a step further by layering my oats with a creamy frozen fruit puree and calling it a Blueberry-Banana Oatmeal Sundae. Because who doesn’t like dessert for breakfast?

What is your best time-saving trick in the kitchen?

110″ induction burner with Power Boost, 6 qt./10″ diameter pot, 1 qt. tepid waterI was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own.

I love overnight oats!!
My best time-saving trick: rather than making a batch of almond milk twice a week, I make blanched almond butter in my food processor and keep a jar of it in the fridge. Any time I want almond milk I just blend a bit of the almond butter with some water. Saves tons of time, no need to worry about almond milk going rancid after a few days, and I feel better knowing I’m consuming something closer to a whole food. No need to find a use for the leftover almond meal! And the best part is, I can make it creamier or lighter depending on what mood I’m in! 🙂
I’m sure this would work just as well with hazelnut butter, cashew butter, sunbutter… whatever you want!

Made this last night to enjoy for breakfast this morning. Ah-mazing! Not too sweet and very creamy, cooling & refreshing! I will be making this (and variations of it) many more times! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!